1688 facts for kids

The year 1688 was a leap year. This means it had 366 days instead of the usual 365. It started on a Thursday according to the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar most of the world uses today. Many important things happened in 1688, especially in Europe, including a big change in who ruled England.

What Happened in 1688?

• March: The explorer William Dampier was the first person to officially visit Christmas Island. It's a small island in the Indian Ocean.
• April 18: A group of Quakers in Germantown, America, wrote an important protest. They spoke out against slavery, saying it was wrong. This was one of the first protests against slavery in North America.
• April 29: Frederick I of Prussia became the Elector (a powerful ruler) of Brandenburg. This area was a very important part of what would later become Prussia.
• June 30: A secret group of powerful people, called the "Immortal Seven," invited William of Orange and Mary to come to England. They wanted William and Mary to take over the throne from King James II of England.
• July: In Thailand, a leader named Phetracha started a coup d'état. This is when a group suddenly takes control of the government. Phetracha then became the new king of Ayutthaya.
• October 27: King James II of England fired his important helper, Robert Spencer, who was the Earl of Sunderland.
• November 5: The Glorious Revolution began in England. William of Orange landed with his army at Brixham. King James II tried to fight him, but many of his own soldiers and officers left him and joined William's side.
• November 9: William of Orange took control of the city of Exeter. The city's leaders had already run away.
• November 23: A group of 1,500 Old Believers (a religious group) set themselves on fire. They did this to avoid being captured by the troops of the Tsar (the emperor of Russia). The Tsar's army was attacking their monastery.
• November 26: When King Louis XIV of France heard that William of Orange had landed in England, he declared war on the Netherlands. Instead of attacking the Netherlands directly, he sent about 100,000 soldiers to attack the Holy Roman Empire. This started a big conflict called the Nine Years' War, which affected both Europe and America.
• December 11: After losing many battles, King James II of England ran away from England to France.

Other Important Happenings

• Austria took control of the city of Belgrade.
• Francesco Morosini became the Doge of Venice. The Doge was the chief ruler of the Republic of Venice.
• A big fire destroyed the town of Bungay in England.
• The Ottoman Turks started to attack Vienna.
• Neuruppin became a military town for Prussia.
• Antonio Verrio began painting the "Heaven Room" at Burghley House.
• Janez Vajkard Valvasor became a member of the Royal Society. This was a famous group for scientists.
• The Austrians encouraged a rebellion against the Ottomans in Bulgaria.

Famous People Born in 1688

• January 18: Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset. He later became a Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
• January 29: Emanuel Swedenborg. He was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian.
• February 2: Queen Ulrike Eleonora of Sweden.
• February 4: Pierre de Marivaux. He was a French playwright.
• March: William Burnet. He was a British colonial administrator.
• April 4: Joseph-Nicolas Delisle. He was a French astronomer.
• April 15: Johann Friedrich Fasch. He was a German composer.
• May 22: Alexander Pope. He was a very famous English poet.
• June 10: James Francis Edward Stuart, also known as "The Old Pretender."
• July 19: Giuseppe Castiglione. He was an Italian missionary who went to China.
• August 14: King Frederick William I of Prussia.
• September 12: Ferdinand Brokoff. He was a Czech sculptor.
• October 17: Domenico Zipoli. He was an Italian composer.
• October 22: Nadir Shah of Persia. He became a powerful ruler.
• Date Unknown: Charles Rivington. He was an English publisher.

Important People Who Died in 1688

• January 7: James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk.
• February 2: Abraham Duquesne. He was a French naval officer.
• April 29: Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg.
• May 14: Antoine Furetière. He was a French writer.
• June 5: Constantine Phaulkon. He was a Greek adventurer.
• June 26: Ralph Cudworth. He was an English philosopher.
• July 11: Narai of Thailand.
• July 21: James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde. He was an Irish statesman.
• August 25: Henry Morgan. He was a Welsh privateer (like a legal pirate) and Governor of Jamaica.
• August 31: John Bunyan. He was a famous English writer.
• September 2: Robert Viner. He was the Lord Mayor of London.
• October 6: Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle. He was an English statesman.
• October 23: Charles du Fresne, sieur du Cange. He was a French philologist.
• November 26: Philippe Quinault. He was a French dramatist.
• December 15: Gaspar Fagel. He was a Dutch statesman.

for more information, see Category:1688 deaths.

Images for kids

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  November 15: The Glorious Revolution begins.

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  Emanuel Swedenborg

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  Ferdinand Verbiest

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  James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond

See also

In Spanish: 1688 para niños